In Test cricket, a rare sight you see is a player going for big shots in his innings, but the emergence of T-20 cricket has changed the way the game is played.
Recently, in the longest format of the game, we have seen team India dominate every other team that has come in their way and managed to stay on top of the ICC rankings.
The credit for Virat Kohli-led team’s superb run goes to their spin bowling department, but one can also not ignore the team combination that Indian skipper has managed to maintain.
In last one year, two all-rounders; Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya have stamped their authority in five-day cricket with some brilliant performances both with the bat and with the ball.
Since everyone is looking to match up to the advancements cricket fraternity is going through at present, players (especially batsmen) have started to play Test matches taking a lot more risks than what we are used to seeing in the longest format of the game.
Batsmen have started to play big shots quite frequently nowadays, which is why we saw Hardik Pandya coming in to bat at number eight managed to score a hundred consisting of a lot of fireworks.
The all-rounder from Baroda smashed seven sixes in his record-breaking hundred but still when it comes to the most number of sixes hit in 2017; he’s still second to his teammate Ravindra Jadeja who leads the table with 12 sixes in Test matches played this year.
Here’s a look at who has scored how many sixes in Test match cricket this year:
| Player | Mat | Inns | Runs | Ave | 6s | 50 | 100 |
| RA Jadeja (INDIA) | 7 | 10 | 288 | 48 | 12 | 4 | 0 |
| HH Pandya (INDIA) | 3 | 3 | 178 | 59.33 | 10 | 1 | 1 |
| MDK Perera (SL) | 6 | 12 | 355 | 39.44 | 10 | 3 | 0 |
| Misbah-ul-Haq (PAK) | 4 | 8 | 327 | 54.5 | 9 | 3 | 0 |
| MA Starc (AUS) | 3 | 5 | 134 | 26.8 | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| C de Grandhomme (NZ) | 4 | 6 | 108 | 21.6 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| BKG Mendis (SL) | 8 | 16 | 611 | 38.18 | 7 | 1 | 2 |
| Mushfiqur Rahim (BDESH) | 5 | 10 | 574 | 71.75 | 6 | 2 | 2 |
| BA Stokes (ENG) | 6 | 11 | 467 | 42.45 | 6 | 3 | 2 |
| AD Mathews (SL) | 6 | 12 | 328 | 27.33 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| DA Warner (AUS) | 6 | 12 | 481 | 40.08 | 6 | 2 | 2 |
| Mohammed Shami (INDIA) | 3 | 3 | 57 | 19 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| WP Saha (INDIA) | 8 | 10 | 379 | 47.37 | 5 | 1 | 2 |
| Q de Kock (SA) | 9 | 16 | 559 | 37.26 | 5 | 4 | 1 |
| J Blackwood (WI) | 2 | 4 | 181 | 60.33 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| PJ Cummins (AUS) | 3 | 5 | 91 | 22.75 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Younis Khan (PAK) | 4 | 8 | 310 | 44.28 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Tamim Iqbal (BDESH) | 6 | 12 | 477 | 39.75 | 4 | 5 | 0 |
| AM Rahane (INDIA) | 8 | 13 | 537 | 48.81 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| MJ Santner (NZ) | 4 | 4 | 147 | 36.75 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| LRPL Taylor (NZ) | 3 | 4 | 192 | 64 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| TS Roland-Jones (ENG) | 3 | 5 | 69 | 23 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| GJ Maxwell (AUS) | 3 | 6 | 196 | 32.66 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| N Wagner (NZ) | 5 | 6 | 82 | 20.5 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| KS Williamson (NZ) | 5 | 7 | 468 | 78 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| JO Holder (WI) | 5 | 9 | 236 | 33.71 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| MM Ali (ENG) | 6 | 11 | 358 | 35.8 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| N Dickwella (SL) | 6 | 12 | 443 | 36.91 | 3 | 4 | 0 |
| KA Maharaj (SA) | 8 | 13 | 150 | 16.66 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| VD Philander (SA) | 8 | 13 | 282 | 35.25 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| WU Tharanga (SL) | 8 | 16 | 430 | 28.66 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| HM Amla (SA) | 9 | 17 | 645 | 40.31 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
Note: These stats are updated as of 12-09-2017.